Life in Donetsk

[msmob]

How’s Life in the War Zone? Not Great     

http://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/26/opinion/sunday/ukraine-war-donetsk.html


about four million inhabitants facing impossible choices. Held hostage by opportunistic separatist authorities, they are simultaneously cast as outlaws by the Ukrainian government — as separatist sympathizers and disloyal citizens, whose sin was having been taken hostage. Even when they leave, as I did, accusations of treason and collaboration follow them.

[ML]

I feel for most of those folks.

However, there is an opposite side of the story.

Spouse's parents and other relatives tell this story.

Woman and her two children are brought into their small town from Donetsk to rescue them from war zone.

Locals find the woman and job, provide her with a rent free house, etc.

When asking the children what their father is doing, they say:
"He is fighting the fascist invaders from western Ukraine" . . . not even understanding they are now standing among these folks who are helping him.

And the mother (ethnic Russian) was overheard laughing and talking on phone saying:
"These stupid Ukrainians have their head halfway up my ass with help."